Denver Synagogue Vandalized

[LeahMira]

Hundreds Clean Up Synagogue Vandalized After Area Pastor Says “Jews Killed The Lord Jesus”

About 300 people of different faiths turned out to clean up a synagogue vandalized with swastikas and
Nazi symbols on the eve of the Jewish holiday Purim. So many people showed up Sunday at BMH-BJ
Congregation in Denver, Colorado, where vandalism had been discovered the day before, that people had
to stand in line for a turn with a brush and a can of paint thinner.

"This is a place for everyone," said Doug Mix, who is not a member of the congregation. "That is why
everyone is here. There are Christians, Jews, Muslims and people who are not religious. We all came out
here because America is still America, and we don't tolerate this."

(snip)

Holocaust survivor Fanny Starr saw the graffiti Saturday morning. "I was just shaking and broke
down," she said. "All the wounds, the old wounds starting open again."

(snip)

Elise Zakroff said she was sure the film inspired the graffiti. "What Mel Gibson did is terrible," Zakroff
said. "It is happening all over. We are tired of anti-Semitism. All we want is peace." Shortly after the movie
opened, a Denver pastor outraged Jews and Christians with a sign outside his Lovingway United
Pentecostal Church that read "Jews Killed The Lord Jesus." He said the sign was inspired by Gibson's film
and later put out a sign of apology.

In 2002, anti-Semitic incidents rose 8 percent nationwide over the previous year, according to the
Anti-Defamation League. Colorado had 35 anti-Semitic incidents. (Above story from the AP)

:/\:/\:/\:/\:/\:/\:/\:/\:/\:

This story arrived in my e-mail this morning.

I'm glad to read that so many in the Denver community, including people of all faiths and those of no particular faith, are of good heart and are saddened to hear of these anti-Semitic attacks. So many of them heard and did not simply murmur quietly or shake their heads, but they actually went out to the synagogue to help remove the graffitti. And on a Sunday, no less! They gave up their day of rest and their family time to come out, to help with the work, and tosupport their Jewish neighbors.

It's also good to know that the pastor of the Pentecostal Church felt sufficient pressure from the community, and perhaps even from the entire nation, that he had to put up a sign of apology.

At the same time, I wonder if that pastor has really changed his mind. Does he now understand that his statement on the sign was wrong? I wonder what he is thinking and feeling as he reads about the vandalism.

I also wonder how Mel Gibson thinks and feels. Will he take some responsibility for what has come from his film, or will he shrug it off and claim that he can't be responsible for what someone else did or insist that he personally has no anti-Semitic feelings?

In some ways, there are parallels between Gibson and Limbaugh... at least in my opinion. Words and images do have meaning and power.

Some people say that if an individual is anti-Semitic, Gibson's film will give them the excuse they want to act on their beliefs, and that if it weren't his film, these individuals would find some other excuse. Without disregarding freedom of speech, I still wonder if people aren't responsible for the predictable consequences of their messages.

I wonder even more how those of you who are Christian would feel if this sort of thing happened at your place of worship as the possible result of a film. How would you feel if it happened at your workplace as the possible result of, say, an anti-business sort of film. Turn it around if you can. How would you feel?

[Romulus]

1. news article

This was a sad but predictable event.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040308/ap_on_re_us/synagogue_graffiti_1

DENVER - About 300 people of different faiths turned out to clean up a synagogue vandalized with swastikas and Nazi symbols on the eve of the Jewish holiday Purim.



So many people showed up Sunday at BMH-BJ Congregation, where vandalism had been discovered the day before, that people had to stand in line for a turn with a brush and a can of paint thinner.

*snip*

A custodian for the synagogue discovered about 10 markings when he arrived Saturday morning. Purim was celebrated Saturday night and Sunday. Police had not made any arrests by Monday.

*snip*

Rabbi Daniel Cohen said the vandalism may have been sparked by Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," which just finished its second weekend as the No. 1 movie in the country. The movie, which some believe wrongly blames Jews for the death of Christ, has been criticized as anti-Semitic.


Elise Zakroff said she was sure the film inspired the graffiti.


"What Mel Gibson did is terrible," Zakroff said. "It is happening all over. We are tired of anti-Semitism. All we want is peace."

*snip/more

[central scrutinizer]

4. nazi recruitment

At the local showing of Gibson's film, neonazis passed out recruitment flyers. If even one person heeded their call and acts out his hate, I hold Gibson personally responsible.

[Kamika]

2. Please...

Joe sixpack won't start vandalizing synagogues and spray swastikas just because of a movie even if he hates jews..


This is just some neo nazis/skinheads who used the movie as an excuse.

[Mike Daniels]

5. Agreed

A few people trying to blame an act of destruction on a movie doesn't mean the movie was actually responsible.

Neo-nazis and other idiots were doing this well before the Passion and they will continue to do it not because of a movie but because of their own twisted ideology.

Saying the movie influenced them is as faulty as saying listening to Ozzy or Judas Priest or whatever caused a kid to kill himself.

[LeahMira]

9. Why at this time?

Neo-nazis and other idiots were doing this well before the Passion and they will continue to do it not because of a movie but because of their own twisted ideology.

Is it a coincidence that the vandalism happened on the festival of Purim? Purim, in case you don't know, celebrates a Jewish victory over those who sought their destruction.

http://www.everythingjewish.com/Purim/Purim_origins.htm

[Kamika]

11. Im sure it's not a coincidence

If you attack someone you don't like.. pick a holiday.. why not..


But how do you link purim and the passion

[LeahMira]

6. Who is responsible?

This is just some neo nazis/skinheads who used the movie as an excuse.

You are right... and thanks and appreciation to the many, many more (Joe Sixpack included) who "voted with their feet" and rejected the neo-nazi/skinhead ideology.

Why, though, did Mel give them the excuse?

Of course the people who did the vandalizing bear the bulk of the responsibility for what they did. Does the pastor of the Pentecostal church that put up the infamous sign also bear some responsibility? Does Mel Gibson also bear some responsibility?

[Kamika]

8. it gave them an excuse against the christians.

Before the movie, if the skinheads would do this, the christians would like say it's wrong.


Now the skinheads (wrongly) think that if they do this they will get support from christians (which they don't).


This discussion is the same as saying playing violent video games is the reason young people kill.. well I've played violent games, and watched tons of violent movies and im somewhat normal, and I haven't killed anyone, so the theory fails

[uncle ray]

7. well this IS denver

where the church sign said jews killed jesus. and neonazis are active here. i worked with a couple, still with one, though he no longer seems to be a skinhead, in appearance. these people are terribly misguided, but they DO inform themselves, and at least try to hide any initial impressions of racism, but any intelligent person can see thru them. so that means they spend their time talking with freeper types on the job. freepers are confused and mad as hell right now too, their leader is threatened. some freeps are gonna be influenced by these skins just like some sensible leftists believe explosives brought down the wtc.

anyway my point is, that this large response in support, is going to fuel the neonazis more, and the cycle starts...

[Kamika]

10. I wouldn't equate freepers with neonazis

Freepers get sexual thoughts thinking about Israel

[Lars39]

12. You have just described how the recruitment will work. Scary.

A little nudge here, a little sermon there, some commiseration...not too hard to fan the flames of unrest is it? Not everyone recognizes the signs, though. I wonder at what point they will.

[soleft]

3. more parallels with Gibson and Reifenstahl than with Limbaugh